Rotary engine.



. PATENTED JUNE-18,1907.

T. .KEENAN.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1 907.

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No. 857.558. PATENTED JUNE 18, 1907. T. KEBNAN.

ROTARY EN GINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 20. 1907.

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PATENTED JUNE 18, 1907.

T. KEENAN..

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLIUATION FILED 15511.20, 1907.

a sums-5115552 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS KEENAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-HALF TO FREDERICK W. SPARKS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1907.

Application filed March 20,1907. Serial No- 363,500.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS KEENAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to diminish friction or ease the operation of a rotary engine and also to provide for certain improvements in construction as set forth in the following specification and claim and illustrated in the annexed drawing in which Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of arotary engine embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows reversing gear for a single engine. Fig. 4c shows reversinggear for a double engme.

The steam inlet valve of this rotary engine is actuated by the cam forming part of the piston or drum, and when said valve is open the steam actuates a gate valve to prevent the inlet steam from mixing with the exhaust steam in the cylinder.

In this drawing the letter a designates a cylinder having a shaft 6 to which is fixed a piston or drum 0 adapted to rotate concentric in said cylinder. This drum has a projecting part 61 which forms a cam having its face or top portion in close contact with the inner bore of the cylinder. The cylinder is provided with ports e and f In the position shown the port 6 forms a steam inlet pipe and the portf an exhaust or outlet pipe. A branch inlet 9 leads steam to a sliding gate valve h adapted to prevent the steam under pressure in the cylinder from getting into contact with the exhaust steam or escaping directly to the exhaust. The steam inlet is controlled by a valve which at a suitable period is lifted or opened by cam is to admit steam into the cylinder. At the same time when this valve is open steam is forced into branch 9 to slide gate valve h to contact with the drum thus efiectively shutting off the exhaust from the live steam in the cylinder. The gate. valve is held to the drum by steam pressure only while the steam valve is open but is free from pressure at other times to allow cam drum to readily pass and lift the gate. The drum 0 has rim portions which fit snug into the cylinder a. Between these rim portions is the projection d and also handle to.

teeth or roughenings m to enable the live steam to exert an impact. The covers n are seated into the cylinder a. These covers form bearings for the shaft 1) and ball bearings for the shaft can be applied. These covers do not need to be steam tight as the rims of drum 0 fit snug into the cylinder and prevent steam escaping from the central or inner zone of the drum to the exterior.

The gate or abutment valve 7L is of such dimension or width as not to enter between any two blades m but to sit on the outer edge of the blades. The abutment valve 7L has a shouldered portion which when resting on the lower flange o in the cylinder head chamber p will prevent the valve from exerting excessive pressure on the circumference of the drum 0. The valve while shutting off the inlet from direct communication with the outlet port will at the same time not excessively press on or retard the rotation of the engine. The valve h is shown with a rod g which projects outside of the chamber but has a collar or flange preventing the rod being driven out of the chamber. In case the valve is stuck the rod enables the valve to be moved or freed. Such projecting rod also is an indicator to show if the valve is operating. The rod q can be screwed to the valve as in dicated. If the stem is not to move with the valve h said stem can be unscrewed and held up either by the pressure in the chamber or by a pin passed across through a hole in the stem above the stuffing box.

The reversing valve chamber 19 when the valves are in the position of ports shown in Fig. 3 has the steam or pressure flow from inlet valve i through port 6 while the exhaust pressure escapes at To cause the exhaust to take place at e and the inlet at f the valves 8 and t are shifted by the lever or reversing As the valvesare shifted to cut off port 6 from the inlet at i and to open port f to the pressure the machine will run in the other direction. The outlet 2 allows escape from the exhaust. The admission valve i actuated by eccentric 7c allows the entrance of pressure. I

To the shaft 1) can be connected pulleys or driving belts. Strain of such belt would be taken up by the covers a or the ball or roller bearings in such covers so that no strain or wear is brought onto the drum 0 or against the cylinder a. If the cover should show wear at the shaft hearing such cover can be set about or shifted by a slight turn to bring a fresh portion to the point of strain or direction of pull of a belt.

The parts n need not act as covers for the cylinder (L since escape of pressure from the cylinder is prevented by flanges of the drum 0. Such parts n form shaft bearings to take the strain off the flanges of drum 0.

A number of engines can be coupled together, the shaft 1) forming a common connection. A drip outlet can be provided as indicated at 3. Several engines when coupled could be worked by successive expansion of the live steam. Stuffing boxes at the shaft b or at any other operating part not being re quired the machine runs without undue friction.

The casing p Fig. 4 has two inlets and two exhausts. The pressure entering at i enters through port 6 nearest to the valve t and exhausts at the opposite portto pass thence to the second port 6 and exhaust at the second portf to pass thence to escape 2.

In the drum or its flanges can be formed a groove or circumferential gutters 5. Pressure or steam inlets 6 admit steam to the circumferential grooves 5 and form a fluid pack ing. As the steam condenses to water such water under the circumferential influence of the rotating drum will form a water packing, such water having a tendency to press or being pressed against the cylinder.

What I claim is- 1. A rotary engine comprising a drum with cylinder and abutment valve, a cham her for the abutment valve and a stem detachably connected to the valve so that the stem canbe held. raised from the valve while the latter is in operation.

2. A rotary engine having a drum and a cylinder into which the drum is fitted, said drum having a circumferential groove and steam or pressure entrance to the groove to form a fluid packing.

3. A rotary engine having a drum and a cylinder into which the drum is fitted, said drum having flanges with circumferential grooves open toward the cylinder and pressure entrance into the grooves, said grooves adapted to receive fluid to form a packing.

4. A rotary engine involving a cylinder, a drum having a shaft revolubly mounted in said cylinder, a projection on said drum forming a cam and adapted to extend in close proximity to the inner bore of the cylinder, a plurality of pipes leading into the cylinder forming a steam inlet and outlet pipe, a slidable gate valve intermediate the inlet and outlet pipes, a supply pipe having communication with the inlet pipe, a valve for controlling said supply pipe, an eccentric mounted on said shaft and associated with the valve for actuating the same, and alternating cutoff valves for the inlet and exhaust pipes.

5. A rotary engine involving a cylinder, a drum having an off-set rotatively mounted in said cylinder, a casing having an inlet and exhaust passages in communication with said cylinder, a slide valve compartment, a slide gate valve mounted in said compartment, a main supply pipe having communi cation with the casing, a valve for controlling the main supply pipe, means for actuating the same, alternating movable valves for controlling the inlet and outlet passages, and peripheral teeth on said drum forming impact blades, said drum having circumferential grooves provided with communication with the interior of the cylinder to form fluid packing.

6. A rotary engine involving a cylinder, a drum having an off-set rotatively mounted in said cylinder, a casing having an inlet and exhaust passages in communication with said cylinder, a slide valve compartment, a slide gate valve mounted in said compartment, a main supply pipe having communication with the casing, a valve for controlling the main supply pipe, means for actuating the same, alternating movable valves for controlling the inlet and exhaust passages, peripheral teeth on said drum forming impact blades, said drum having circumferential grooves provided with communication with the interior of the cylinder to form fluid packing, and a detachable guide stem for the sliding gate valve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS KEENAN.

Witnesses CHRISTIAN ALMSTEAD, EDWARD Winsivnn. 

